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Copper Fire Log Heater: Burns clean with alcohol!

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272 comments

1-40 of 272

Dec 15, 2011. 7:32 AM

zappenfusen says:

Sounds like a great project. Why am I getting nothing but blanks for pages? Everything but the actual photo's. Anyone have an answer or cure? Have I been banned? My payments are auto deduct, what gives?
Zappenfusen

Mar 2, 2012. 5:53 PMcancandan says:

i getting the same, starts you wondering about the intrisical values of the website.

Nov 21, 2011. 8:28 PMfrisbeechamp1983 says:

it's still not working? should fix it.

Nov 10, 2011. 12:32 AM

ckgarside says:

Couldn't you use pearlite as the other 50% of the mix in the chamber to help evarorate the alcohol. I use that method for all my homemade burners and it lights up first time, no preheat required :)

Jun 15, 2011. 5:32 PM_Scratch_ says:

I tried to make this, but didnt use copper end caps, just crimped the ends down... I failed horribly and almost burned my house down. I filled the log with acetone and lit it, but it turned out the crimped ends didnt seal, so acetone leaked everywhere, then the cap I used to fill it spilled, catching the plywood workbench I was working on on fire. So at this point I was scared out of my mind, so I took a spare rag, hoping I could snuff out the fire, but the rag soaked up the fuel and caught fire. I now had a flaming workbench, log and rag that I was swinging around, which incidentally caught the bottle of acetone on fire. I managed to blow everything out before it caught on the surrounding flammable objects, but it was rather close.

Aug 18, 2011. 7:18 AM

WendyLD3 says:

let that be a lesson to everyone... DON'T crimp the ends down!!!!

Aug 20, 2011. 2:40 PM_Scratch_ says:

Even better, right next to my bench was a entire cabinet of chemicals, flammable ones.

Mar 21, 2011. 2:54 PMQuinn Z. says:

were is this thing

Oct 16, 2009. 11:01 PMitsthatsguy says:

i wouldn't worry about explosions, if the pressure got to hot then the cork would blow out (much like a spud gun) and leak flaming alcohol on the surface below =)

Feb 9, 2011. 4:25 PMdragonsniper says:

lol

Feb 2, 2011. 6:25 PMSlicerr2 says:

you can find here
http://www.sustainlane.com/reviews/how-to-make-a-copper-fire-log-heater/A4PWASUPRVANIR1HKQKU9DIQ2C9O

Oct 26, 2010. 7:57 PMcoppeis says:

Your Instructable is broken

Nov 5, 2010. 4:57 PM

nepheron (author) says:

It's should be back online in a week or two. Sorry!

Jan 30, 2011. 3:14 PMbryan3141 says:

It's 2011, do you know where your 'ible is? I don't see it here. Nice headers for the steps, though.

Jan 30, 2011. 5:31 PM

nepheron (author) says:

The file is gone. I'm unable to delete this ible. Sorry.

Nov 17, 2010. 6:00 PMtheexpert says:

your instructable is not been working for weeks

Nov 17, 2010. 6:10 PM

nepheron (author) says:

Hmm, I'll ask an admin.

Nov 18, 2010. 3:53 PMSaturn V says:

I want it to be fixed! I want to make one for the holidays!

Nov 18, 2010. 5:19 PM

nepheron (author) says:

I'm waiting for a response from an admin.
If you have any direct questions about the project, ask away! :)

Jan 12, 2011. 1:31 PMtheexpert says:

im still having problems with it and i really want to make it all i can see is 1Matrials

Nov 21, 2010. 8:13 AMSaturn V says:

I don't have any questions, but i do have something to say about it: This is a great idea, and it loooks really cool. I can't wait to make it!

Nov 5, 2010. 7:14 PMcoppeis says:

Thanks!!!

Jan 1, 2011. 5:17 AMmeister says:

What happened to this instructable? Nothing is here

Aug 26, 2009. 6:13 AMrokkit says:

is there anything i could add to the fuel to change the burn color?

Aug 26, 2009. 5:37 PM

nepheron (author) says:

I've thought about it before. Because it burns via alcohol evaporation you would need a colorant that evaporates with it. Probably non-existent v('_')v

Nov 10, 2010. 1:25 PMFrag says:

if you search the types of salts used in fireworks you probablly could find one that, if mixed with the alcohol, would burn similarly.

Mar 26, 2010. 12:41 PMMcGyver2 says:

Food Coloring of some sort in the Alchohol?

Mar 22, 2010. 11:00 AMjrh065 says:

A bit of table salt should make the flame more visible, but other colors may be more difficult to achieve.

Sep 26, 2010. 3:03 PMHat maker boy says:

Boric acid for a deep green color. You can also use borax, which gives a more yellowish green.

Oct 4, 2010. 2:27 PMMunchys says:

Can I use lighter fluid?

Oct 5, 2010. 9:15 PM

nepheron (author) says:

No, lighter fluid will probably be a very bad thing :)
It could explode!

Jul 23, 2010. 6:58 AMboehmap says:

What is the mat made of? Where can I find one? Thanks, great project, by the way.

Jul 23, 2010. 8:55 AM

nepheron (author) says:

The mat is a rubber mouse pad with the decal removed. Its special because it appears to be made of aerated vulcanized rubber or silicone. It will not melt and will only burn at high temperatures (I have burned it before. It does not release smoke, the foam structure just collapses)

May 6, 2010. 3:15 PMjacobskousen says:

Rubbing alcohol burns dirty (lots of soot and smoke). You'll get a clean, blue flame if you use HEET gas antifreeze (I think its methyl alcohol). Also, methyl alcohol doesn't smell and any spillage evaporates very quickly. You could use kevlar (aramid) cord wrapped a couple of times around the copper tube as a wick to absorb and burn some of the alcohol to preheat, allowing you to simply fill the log - spill some alcohol on the "wick" - and light it up.

I didn't see the CARBON MONOXIDE warning anywhere. Burning this thing in-doors, or even in a tent, could be dangerous.

Apr 13, 2010. 2:36 PM

ch5 says:

Thats so cool!
I will be making something along those lines soon for sure.

Mar 17, 2010. 10:47 AMwoodstockbirdy says:

what kind of alcohl

Feb 15, 2010. 10:55 AMTheFawns says:

Dude thats awesome!! i think im gonna go make one of these for camping :) all my friends are going to be jealous :D

Oct 26, 2009. 11:58 AMrosebud557 says:

Excellent!! Would it work with other metals instead of hard copper pipe?
I have an oversize toilet paper holder, I think its silver coated over hard metal.
And can I use 50% alcohol and leave the cap open to let the water evaporate or can I use candle wax.? Just trying to use what I have on hand...BTY Super Instructable!!

Oct 27, 2009. 10:04 AM

nepheron (author) says:

The 50% really won't work. 50% means that it's half alcohol + half water, and water doesn't burn so nice.

Anything that isn't made of plastic or paper and can hold liquid will work. If its something that can't be soldered, use epoxy. Epoxy is much cheaper and easier to use than most people will think.

I'm glad you like my 'ible!

Oct 23, 2009. 8:40 AM

handprints says:

This is so pretty! I like the clean burning. Much better than candles. I love copper so I think much prettier than candles too. We usually have candles going around the house at Christmas time, but most times they are scented which doesn't really work well when we're having Christmas dinner. I think this will work much better!!

Can you light just one hole at a time? If so, I think I'd like to adapt this to be a mennorrah (sp?) for my friend.

1-40 of 272